A fast start to the season has a decorated member of the Hillsdale College women's cross country team adding to her awards haul.
Sophomore Liz Wamsley was named the G-MAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, the first honoree of the 2022 season for the conference.
Wamsley led an impressive showing for the Chargers at the Olivet College Comet Open last Thursday, taking second overall in the 5K in 18:47 and leading Hillsdale to the top team finish. Five more Chargers finished in the top 12 behind Wamsley as Hillsdale finished with 27 points.
This is Wamsley's third season at Hillsdale, and she enters with big expectations after finishing third at the 2021 G-MAC Championships, earning All-Region honors and running in the NCAA DII National Championship meet. She also had a successful track season, earning multiple provisional qualifying marks and competing at the NCAA DII Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time in the 10,000 meter run.
The G-MAC weekly honor is the second of Wamsley's career, though it's the first time she's received the award in cross country. Wamsley was named the G-MAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 7, 2022 after earning a provisional qualifying time in multiple distance events the weekend before.
The Chargers and Wamsley compete again this Saturday, traveling to Grand Rapids, Michigan to race in the Calvin Knight Invitational.
Photo by Gwen Yarbrough